Chapter 498 Revising the Marriage Law!
Just as the Vice Minister of War was about to speak, he was interrupted by Shen Lanxi.
Those who plead for mercy are equally guilty!
"Furthermore, anyone who pleads for them is not doing good deeds for their daughter and is not considering her well-being. They should pray to Heaven that their daughter will not marry into such a family!"
Many officials looked grim, especially the Vice Minister of War.
If something happens to his sister, it will also damage his reputation.
Shen Lanxi: "Dali Temple, take men to open the coffin!"
The Vice Minister of War said, "It's not a solution for us to just wait here. By the time the coroner finishes his examination, it might be several days later."
Shen Lanxi decisively said, "I will not do anything else these next few days but only this one thing. I will wait here until the inspection and processing are completed before I return to the palace!"
The officials did not expect Shen Lanxi to be so resolute.
The surrounding people looked at each other, some moved, some questioning, and some wondering if Shen Lanxi would succeed, how far she would go for the woman, and whether she would be willing to go all out in the end.
Despite all the doubts and suspicions, no one left; on the contrary, more and more people gathered.
Shen Lanxi continued, "The second article to be amended in the marriage law is that the woman's family should be able to reclaim her dowry!"
The court historian and the official in charge of recording the events quickly took notes.
"No, the previous marriage law had this clause: if a woman dies but has children, her dowry shall be given to her children for marriage."
Shen Lanxi: "What about those without children? Is it written in the marriage law?"
No, it's not written in the marriage law.
The official who had just spoken up to stop them was at the mountain pass.
Shen Lanxi: "If it's not written, add this clause: the bride's dowry will be divided equally among her children and her family. If the groom misappropriates the dowry on the grounds that the children are too young, all the property will be confiscated and the whole family will be sent to the army!"
An official from the Ministry of Revenue immediately stepped forward and said, "Yes, this is acceptable."
The official who had just spoken up glanced at the people from the Ministry of Revenue and gave a helpless smirk.
What's wrong with the people in the Ministry of Revenue? Don't they know which side to take?
Shen Lanxi smiled and said, "I am not a one-man show. I have not invited you here to listen, but to discuss and revise. If you all express your opinions and combine your strengths, we will surely be able to revise the marriage law to be more perfect."
The official who had just spoken had a face that looked as if he had been slapped, his skin alternating between red and white.
Shen Lanxi added, "If the woman has no children, the dowry will be returned to her family."
"If the woman's family has no relatives, which refers to her immediate family members, such as her parents, siblings, etc., then the dowry will be deposited into the national treasury."
Ministry of Revenue official: "This is also acceptable!"
One official began to mutter, "Can't the woman's uncle or aunt receive it?"
Shen Lanxi: "No, have you all considered what would happen if a woman only had a younger brother or sister, and her uncles or aunts tried to murder her for money?"
"No way, we're all family. It's understandable that uncles and aunts would help out their nephews and nieces because they're young."
Shen Lanxi said coolly, "I'm afraid it will end up benefiting my own pocket."
The official speaking at the mountain pass.
Shen Lanxi: "Let me add this rule: If anyone in the clan sees a young child in a brother's family who wants to exploit someone who has no descendants, once it is verified, the entire family will be conscripted into the army!"
Madam Song: "Fine, I'd rather rot at home than let that ungrateful wretch get away with this, cough cough cough..."
Shen Lanxi glanced at her speechlessly and continued, "A woman's dowry is her private property. If the man seizes it, he will be exiled to the army!"
No one disagreed with this point, since misappropriating dowry is a dishonorable act for a man.
Shen Lanxi: "This king can only think of so much. People, if you have any grievances or questions about any law, please raise them now."
The people remained silent.
Shen Lanxi: "Since no one has any questions, then I will continue."
"Regarding marriage fraud, regardless of the reason, if the woman is not acting voluntarily, all those involved, including her family, will be conscripted into the army. If the crime is too serious and involves human life, they will be executed by slow slicing!"
Madam Song said fiercely, "Dongchuan has so much land, it would be best to send more people there to farm it!"
Shen Lanxi clicked her tongue: "That's the price for breaking the law!"
Madam Song nodded quickly: "Yes, yes, yes!"
"Regarding marriage, if a woman is unwilling to be forced into marriage, the entire family of the person who started it will be exiled to the army!"
After Madam Song revealed that Shen Lanxi's ultimate goal in using harsh punishments was to send prisoners to farm, the officials were no longer willing to speak up easily.
After all, this matter concerns the stability of the court, and national peace and prosperity are the ultimate goals. Not directly relocating the populace was already the last vestige of dignity the court had left.
Shen Lanxi continued, "A woman's marriage must be based on mutual consent. If there is coercion or bullying involved, the entire family of the person involved will be sent to the army."
"One more thing to add here: if it really happens, the person who reports it will be rewarded. The court will not disclose the reporter's information, and if it is verified that the incident did occur, the reporter will be rewarded with twenty taels of silver!"
Wow, this is absolutely outrageous! It's like they're cracking down on people who really want to commit crimes, nipping them in the bud.
Just as Shen Lanxi was about to add more, someone suddenly rushed out and knelt down on the ground with a thud.
"The Regent is seeking justice for this woman..."
Shen Lanxi: "If you have been wronged, I will definitely seek justice for you!"
“I am from the capital. My father was not favored by my grandparents, so we separated from the family early on. When we separated, we had nothing but a dilapidated house. My father had no choice but to become a merchant, often going deep into the mountains to buy furs. My mother was in charge of selling them. Over time, we built up a family business.”
Shen Lanxi listened, and so did everyone around her.
“Five years ago, my father hadn’t returned for a month. My mother went to look for him. More than two months later, we received news that both my father and mother had been killed by bandits. I was the eldest child in the family, with a younger brother and sister. My parents’ bodies were barely cold when my grandparents couldn’t wait to kick us three siblings out of the house. That winter was particularly cold. My younger brother and sister were young and caught a cold. We didn’t have a single penny on us.”
"I had no choice but to beg my grandparents. I knelt at their door for two days, but I couldn't get any money. When I went back to see my younger brother and sister-in-law, they were already... already two cold, hard corpses!" The woman was already sobbing uncontrollably.
"No one stood up for me. The clan chief and the village chief both said it was a family matter. When my grandparents saw me going to the clan chief and the village chief, they knocked me unconscious and sold me to the mountains. Luckily, the man who bought me treated me very well, otherwise I would have died long ago!"
Shen Lanxi nodded: "This involves the second marriage law we just revised, which addresses the issue of forcibly seizing family property and violating a woman's will."
Wei Jie, the Minister of the Court of Judicial Review, reminded them: "There is also the buying and selling of people."
Shen Lanxi raised an eyebrow: "This is a serious crime; death is the only option!"
The woman knelt down and said, "My lord, I don't want them to die like this. It's too easy for them to die. I also want their whole family to go to Dongchuan to serve as slaves for the armored men and contribute to my Great Zhou."
Shen Lanxi looked at Wei Jie: "Is this okay?"
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